by Kym Grosso
Dimitri tried to shake off Jake’s comments, meeting his observations with a quiet contemplation. He’d known it was serious. He was damn lucky Gillian had done whatever magic she had to heal him.
“It’s not like I don’t know you’re right. I mean, going to the airport and flyin’ home would be the rational thing to do. But Gilly, she saved my life. Yeah, I don’t know her. I guess I don’t owe her a damn thing. But the way she left…she’s in danger. She may look tough, but she’s not. I’m telling you, I watched her, the way she moved. Did you hear how she talked? She strikes me as more of a city girl. She’s scared, hiding something. I don’t know why…I just can’t walk away and wash my hands of her.”
“You wouldn’t know if something happened to her or not. You don’t even know if that’s her real name, for that matter,” Jake replied.
“We’re friends, right?” Dimitri asked.
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah, I’m going there.”
“Yeah, we’re friends,” Jake sighed.
“If you don’t want to go with me, you don’t have to, but this is something I have to do. Once I make sure Gilly gets safely to wherever she calls home, then we’ll fly straight to the witch. It’s the least I can do. If it weren’t for her, I’d be dead.”
“If it weren’t for her, your biggest worry would be which bikini-clad Cali girl to hit on.”
“Can’t deny the possibility.” Dimitri gave him a broad smile, knowing that was exactly what he’d planned on doing. “But she needs me. And I owe her. So are you in or are you out?”
“Bellagio or Hard Rock?”
“Venetion?” Dimitri countered, relieved that Jake had agreed in his non-conventional way.
“Four Seasons?” Jake suggested.
“The Four Seasons it is. Viva Las Vegas, baby.” Dimitri glanced down to his phone. Her car had begun moving. “We’d better speed it up if we’re gonna catch our girl.”
Gillian felt feverish as her anxiety took hold. She only wished it was the fucking desert heat. No, she knew exactly why she was drenched in sweat, and it had everything to do with the Alpha who had kept her captive. Coming out to California was one of the single biggest mistakes she’d ever made in her life. She should have known that it was too good to be true. When she’d gotten the email from the agent explaining that they’d seen her work and wanted her, a mid-list photographer, to shoot an A-list actor in front of an Anza-Borrego metal sculpture, she should’ve verified the job.
As the sun melded into the horizon in her rearview mirror, she cursed. She should have driven directly to the airport. But the guilt in her chest bubbled like hot lava. The only reason the beta had been attacked was because they’d been after her.
She suspected that Dimitri would have been able to fend off Chaz’s pack had his wolf not been impaired. As she’d lain in bed healing him, allowing her mind to explore his energy, she’d felt the spirit of a warrior wolf, a man whose pure sexuality threatened to shake her resolve to remain single. If he’d only been mortal, she could have remained in control. Yet as soon as he’d awoken to her touch, she’d nearly caved.
It had been so long since she’d been with a man, let alone a wolf. In order to remain true to her species, she’d sworn herself to celibacy when it came to wolves. She simply couldn’t risk meeting her mate. If she did, she’d be forced to give up the only beast she’d ever known, with no guarantee that she’d remain immortal. Weak. Defenseless. She refused to succumb to the consequences of a mating.
She sighed. It wasn’t fair; a girl needed release every now and then. And her current strategy just wasn’t cutting it. Although humans were a poor substitute for what she craved, Gillian had implemented a ‘mortal men only’ dating rule. That was how she’d survived her teenage years, passing as human, dating boys, then later colleagues she’d met at work.
Yet her nature drew the wolves to her like moths to a flame. She’d hidden the secrets of her heritage to the best of her ability, but it hadn’t been good enough. The Alpha of Anzober wolves had discovered her secret. How, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that he’d made it clear he intended to force their mating. A forced mating wasn’t natural, although it’d been rumored that it could be done by an Alpha.
She rubbed the back of her neck where he’d bitten her. Tears pricked her eyes as the memory of his attack played in her mind. He’d ordered his men to restrain her with silver. They’d tied her face down to his bed and stripped her shirt off in preparation for his mark. He insisted that he’d never take her sexually against her will as he ground his erection into her bottom, pressing her into the bed. Her poisoned restraints kept her from shifting as he dug his claws into her shoulders, sinking his fangs into her neck. As his foul-smelling breath drifted into her nostrils and the pain faded, she shook uncontrollably against the satin sheets, expecting him to mount her.
She’d bitten her lip bloody, refusing the satisfaction of letting them see her cry as he hoisted himself off of her, declaring that he’d marked her. His goons made the mistake of misinterpreting her silence as acquiescence and they’d released her bindings. As soon as they’d left the room, she’d called on her beast, killing all three wolves as she fled.
Gillian had to get back to New York. Her brother was the only one who could get her out of this mess. Her fingers grazed the spot where Chaz had bitten her and she thanked the Goddess that he’d failed to mark her. He was not her mate. And as long as she got her ass back to the Big Apple, she’d be safe from the predator who’d lured her all the way to California.
After a quick stop for fuel, she double checked the address of the Las Vegas airport in her GPS app. Even though she’d bought an extra-large coffee to stay awake, the truth was that her nerves had her lit up like a Christmas tree. There was no way she’d fall asleep; her mind was running races. The hot beverage was for comfort only. Even though it tasted like sludge, the bitter fluid reminded her of home. As she looked out onto the dark highway, it was as if a cold claw clutched her chest, reminding her of the danger she faced. Fucking desert. Of all the trips to make in the middle of the night alone, driving to Nevada wasn’t up there with the world’s safest sightseeing trips.
She considered that she might have been able to make the trek as a shifter had she known where she was going. But since this was her first trip to the golden coast, she had no idea in hell how to get there. Given her limitations, this was a time to rely on technology. She glanced quickly to the red dot on her cell phone that was moving slowly down the green line toward the border.
A light flashed in the distance. What the hell was that? Lightning? A desert storm? I thought it wasn’t supposed to rain in California. Get a grip, girl, there’s no way he can find you out here. Gillian reached over to turn up the radio. Hotel California wailed through the speakers, and she quickly flipped it over to Fuckin’ Perfect by Pink. Yeah, that about sums things up nicely.
Gillian took a sip of her lukewarm coffee and grimaced as it coated her tongue. Shoving the paper cup into its holder and glancing into her side mirror, she noticed the rare sight of headlights approaching in the distance. As her eyes flashed back to the road, she caught a glint of metal fifty feet ahead on the highway. Two seconds too late, her foot slammed on the brake. Her car hit the shiny silver spike strip. Gripping the steering wheel, she lost her fight for control. As the car slid across the dry road, she screamed. A cold hiss was all she heard before the car rolled over into the dusty desert.
The airbag inflated, knocking her unconscious for several minutes. The creak of the car door alerted her to their presence. In a haze, she barely felt the blade against her belly as they cut her free and her body tumbled onto the ceiling of the car. Unable to move, she groaned as someone tugged on her legs, her face scraping the jagged broken window as they dragged her limp body out onto the cold ground.
The shock of the scent of her own blood drove her into consciousness. Roused, her head bobbed up as meaty hands jolted her upright. Her feet scraped a trench
through the gritty sand as the strangers dragged her into the night. The sight of her headlights became pinpricks as they drew her further into the darkness.
Gillian heard Chaz’s voice and her blood turned to ice. How the hell did he find me? She’d suspected they would have found the motel room where she’d stayed overnight. But she couldn’t piece together how they’d found her on the run. She plotted to shrug off her captors, intending to shift, but when she attempted to yank her arm free, she was swiftly rewarded with a silver chain around her neck. The metal immediately poisoned her blood, stifling any chance of a transformation.
“Get off me,” she cried, her voice barely audible.
A cold laugh echoed ahead of her.
“Gilly, Gilly, Gilly. My dangerous but lovely mate. You’ve been a bad girl,” Chaz taunted.
He nodded to the two thugs who’d taken Gillian, instructing them to drop her. He smiled coldly as she grunted in pain, her palms stretched out onto the dirt. She attempted to push up onto her feet but fell back onto her hands and knees. Chaz rounded behind her, leaned over and gripped her hair, yanking her up into a kneeling position.
“Ah, yes. Now this is how I shall like to see my queen. On her knees. Submissive. With my cock in her mouth.” He laughed, and dragged his hand along her chin. “But not right now. No, no, no. Penance must be done. You killed my wolves. Pity, but you must receive your punishment.”
Gillian spat blood up at him and he shoved her toward the earth, wiping the saliva away with the back of his hand. He reached to her collar and wrapped the chain around her neck once more, ensuring her compliance. As he gripped her leather jacket and peeled it off her arms, Gillian fought the fear that wrapped around her mind. The sound of fabric tearing spiked her anxiety, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of her tears. She watched helplessly as he threw her tattered shirt aside. Wearing only a bra, her skin was exposed to the cold air, and she shivered in response. Gooseflesh rippled across her skin.
This man is incapable of mating me. No matter what pain he plans to inflict, I will not become his. Her beast would never allow it. Any submission he gained would not satisfy her nature. Rationally, she knew the truth of the situation, yet she also was cognizant that he could easily kill her in her disabled state. His voice jarred her back into the moment.
“My wolves…they will bear witness to my mark.” He lifted her hair, inspecting his work. Shocked and aggravated with what he saw, he slapped the back of her head with his palm. “What the fuck, bitch? What did you do?”
“I told you,” she coughed. She shook her head, the sting of his slap still fresh on her skull. “You cannot mate with my kind. You cannot force a mating.”
“Like hell I can’t,” he growled, his canines descended. Clothed, Chaz mounted her from behind, slamming her face into the dust. “Guess I’ll just have to bite you a little harder this time.”
Gillian screamed in terror as his teeth sliced into her shoulder. Even though she knew that his mark would be gone the next time she shifted, disgust and loathing roared to the surface.
“No, no, no,” she repeated. Tears began to fall and she cursed the silver that restrained her far more than any creature could. Heaving breaths rocked her lungs and she flailed, trying unsuccessfully to get away from him.
Gillian’s blood gushed fresh from her wounds as Chaz retracted his teeth. The Alpha licked his lips, smirking with satisfaction. He pushed to his feet, releasing a frightening howl into the night. The four men who’d helped him abduct her joined in chorus, celebrating.
“Your taste was made for me,” he continued, reaching to accept a whip from his colleague. “I could fuck you right now in front of everyone, but unlike you, I’m capable of restraint.”
“Fuck you,” she cried, once again on her knees. Her defiant eyes met his, refusing to submit in any way, shape or form. The crack of the whip didn’t shake her resolve. As far as she was concerned, he could shove his demand for her submission down his throat. The only way she’d submit was if she was cold, dead and six feet under.
“Don’t worry.” He laughed, cracking the popper, enjoying the thunderous sound it made throughout the valley. “I plan to fuck you nice and hard. But first things first. You must be punished for your indiscretions. I want you to remember your place. You’re nothing more than a wild animal, one who must be tamed by the lash of my whip. I plan to teach your beast the discipline she needs. I assure you that your beating will hurt you far more than it will me.”
Dimitri had grown worried the second the flashing dot on his GPS had gone still. Viewing the satellite image, he immediately knew that she couldn’t have stopped to refuel. As far into the desert as she was, there wasn’t a gas station within thirty miles of her location.
“Jesus Christ,” Dimitri exclaimed, as the wreckage came into view.
The Audi rested upturned thirty feet from the asphalt. Its interior remained dimly lit, and the driver’s door hung wide open. Jake slammed on the brakes, and Dimitri hit the ground running toward her car. His gut told him that she was gone but he still wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing the empty cabin. Her camera lay smashed against the windshield. Reaching inside, he snatched her open backpack off the floor and threw it to Jake, whose lips were pressed tightly together.
“They fucking took her,” Dimitri raged.
“We’ll find her,” Jake said.
“Turn off the car lights,” Dimitri ordered, fumbling for the headlight controls inside the wreck.
Jake ran over to his vehicle and hit the switch. Except for the light of the stars, the desert was blanketed in darkness.
“Now we look and listen.” Both wolves could see in the dark, but the absence of light accentuated the illumination that danced several miles into the desert. “There, south. They’re out there. She’s out there.”
Jake set his eyes on their target, awaiting his beta’s orders. Dimitri took a deep breath, sniffing, and was relieved when he smelled her in the wind.
“She’s bleeding.” The coppery tang of her scent angered him.
“Goin’ wolf?” Jake asked.
“Yeah.” Dimitri began to strip.
“Either way, it’ll be tough to keep under the radar.”
“I love a challenge.” He shrugged off his pants, readying to shift.
“Never known you to back down.”
“You get Gilly. The fuckers who took her are mine,” Dimitri ordered, suspecting that her abductors were the same people who’d attacked him.
“You sure?” The concern about his beta’s wolf was left unspoken.
“Mine,” Dimitri growled. Shifting, he took off into the brush.
Gillian swore she scented Dimitri and thought she was losing it. No, it must’ve been a hallucination brought on by the fear. She steeled her mind, preparing to embrace the cut of the whip. She felt the vibrations in the dirt before the crack of the tail reverberated into the night. Chaz was drawing out the torture, forcing her to wait for the punishment.
“I think ten lashes will do nicely,” the Alpha declared.
He drew his hand upward. His sight aimed toward Gillian’s bare flesh, pleased that she was shaking. With the flick of his wrist, he prepared to implement what he believed was not only justice, but the means to her submission. But as the braided cord flew backwards, not even a hiss was heard.
“Sorry pal, clowns aren’t allowed to handle the big boy equipment at the circus.” Dimitri smirked as he snatched the braided cord mid-air, thoroughly enjoying the shock and surprise that crossed the Alpha’s face.
With a jerk, Dimitri yanked him to the ground. As Chaz fell, the beta pounced. Sitting atop his waist, Dimitri pressed him onto his back. Chaz fought for control and attempted to dislodge his attacker so he could shift. But before he could do so, Dimitri deftly coiled the leather around his neck until only a short length remained on either side. Holding tight to the hilt and the tail, Dimitri tightened the noose, forcing the Alpha to gasp for air. He pushed up onto his feet, draggi
ng Chaz upward, leaving his feet kicking up dust.
“Do you know who I am?” the Alpha spat.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“Chaz Baldwin. Alpha of Anzober wolves.”
“Yeah, still don’t care. Call off your wolves,” Dimitri ordered.
Jake lunged at the wolf who stood watch over Gillian, tearing at his throat. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by two other wolves, and braced himself for the pack’s wrath.
“Back off or your Alpha dies tonight,” Dimitri commanded, his voice bellowing at the wolves.
Dimitri hid the rage that surfaced as he caught sight of Gillian on her knees, bared in front of the others. He observed the blood streaking down her back, and his heart clenched. The fucker had bitten her. It made no sense. Had she been wolf, he’d suspect the Alpha had tried to force a mating, to mark her. But she wasn’t wolf, so that only left torture.
“Get the silver off her. You do it.” He nodded to one of the wolves who immediately submitted to his order. He didn’t want Jake touching the poison. They were already outnumbered as it was.
“You fucking piece of shit. Look real close…your wolves do my bidding,” Dimitri taunted. Chaz revived and struggled to free himself, and Dimitri kneed him in the back, stilling his actions.
You’ll be lucky if I let you live when this is all over.”
“Need to shift,” Gillian whispered as the chain fell to the ground. She raised her head and saw the dominant beta forcing Chaz to submit. Her eyes met his and her beast came to life. Dimitri. He’d come for her.
Jake heard her request and gave Dimitri an inquisitive look, as if to ask for permission to take off her clothes. They both knew she had to shift but there was no way in hell, with the way his beta had gone feral, overpowering another Alpha, that Jake would attempt to touch a woman who Dimitri perceived as his.